Saturday, July 21, 2007

Everything Old is New Again

Moved by the death of a 4-year-old boy run over by an SUV while frolicking in the water from an open fire hydrant, an influential alderman suggested Thursday that inner-city parks be turned into water playgrounds.

At Thursday's City Council meeting, Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th) proposed a solution to the chronic problem. He introduced a resolution that calls for City Council hearings to explore the possibility of adding "recreational sprays and water devices."

Burke's resolution calls for "significantly improved public access to water recreational activities which could deter fire hydrant openings." The program would be targeted to "areas of greatest need that feature the highest concentrations of incidents" of open hydrants.

As one of our more astute readers pointed out, the 4 year old child who was allowed to play unsupervised in the criminally opened hydrant, lived four blocks from Ogden Park - location of a brand new million dollar spray and splash park. The fact that his parents and neighbors were a bit too "unwilling" to maybe organize an outing for the children instead of illegally opening a hydrant speaks volumes.

Back in the 1960's, during the MLK marches, Old Man Daley started a program of portable pools, sprinklers and spray devices in the poor inner city. The late Mike Royko quoted civil rights activists as saying that perhaps Daley wanted them all to grow gills and swim away. Burke just appears to be pandering for votes.

Let's see...my taxes are roughly $5400 and I've never seen an open hydrant within 5 or 6 miles in any direction of my neighborhood. Guess that means my kids don't "deserve" a water park in our local playground, but it's OK for me to pay for the kids in 007 to have one.

interesting ed burke proposes another bonehead idea! Who is going to pay for this ed? You recently proposed to tax everyone who drives in loop which would drive out people who come into this shithole to shop! DO YOU THINK THE OLDTIMERS DISEASE IS KICKING IN? MAYBE YOU COULD USE YOUR 3 MILLION + DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THESE? COME ON CHIP IN! UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS MEANING THE AREAS WHERE ILLEGALS LIVE AND THE AREAS WHERE NO TAXES ARE PAID CORRECT?

If I read this correctly, and I think I did, the new water parks would go to areas that have the most calls/complaints of open fire hydrants.

So, all one needs to do is open the hydrants around their homes and then you call in and complain about an open hydrant.

This sounds like a great idea for those of us living in the Mount Greenwood area to maybe look into doing. See, we are really goofy out here - instead of looking for handouts from the city to update our local park, with the swing sets from the 1970's, we got crazy and raised funds privaetly to get new park equipment.

I mean, you have to put all the city bought new park equipment in those areas of need - the areas with the highest level of narcotic complaints, robberies, and shootings - that way the people in those areas (tax payers that pay for my police salary - mind you) can have alternatives to just hanging out on the streets all day.

I like this idea, I really do, we can use a water themed attraction out here, and all it takes is an open hydrant, then hell - I'm all in!

When is the city going to buy some new wagons and cars? Or fix the pool vehicle fleet? You have to call every area looking for a pool truck. How long does it take for those city mechanics to fix these vehicles? Are they just bust-out alley mechanics or what?

A 4 year old shouldn't be in the street in the first place. Lack of parenting should be the topic. Right on the money SCC with the water park thing, citizens are too lazy to take the kiddies to the park instead they can sit on their butts and watch em get run over.

Moved by the death of a 4-year-old boy run over by an SUV while frolicking in the water from an open fire hydrant, an influential alderman suggested Thursday that inner-city parks be turned into water playgrounds.--

They said the driver was trying to run away. Not true, he was scared for his life when he saw the "savages" converging on his truck. How many times did they pull the driver out and beat him to death?

They smashed out his car windows "as seen on TV" when they showed the vehicle being towed away. They even asked the Sgt. on scene to allow them to torch it. They then waited for the driver outside the 007th District station.

I saw the people on the scene kissing the blood on the street and even wiping some of the blood on their T-shirts. What kind of voodoo shit is that?

I think we should just let them do whatever- they seem to be self destructive and I would hate to lock one of them up and break the cycle because he could've been out there killing, raping, or stealing.

The truth hurts, but no one wants to talk about it. Who would want to do anything these days with all the shit in the media about 600something officers with X amount of CRs and reforming OPS and hiring a new Supe to discipline rogue officers.

I like my paycheck. It puts a roof over my head and food on the table. I get paid the same no matter what. Fuck the 3 hrs in court and they can shove all the honorable mentions and department awards where the sun don't shine.

Just ask any officer who got 30+ days what it feels like when you have no income.

couple days ago we rolled by a small park with basketball court, playground and built-in ground water sprays. there was a group of about 30 kids playing in the open hydrant on the corner and nicely flooding the whole street.

Why not jut buy the new fool proof hydrant locks, like other cities do? Ooooops, I forgot. This is Chicago and we will only buy through minority fronts firms and the company that makes those things won't have anything to do with that fraudulant practice. Sooooooooo, open hydrants and a few more dead kids.

They lived four blocks from a G*& Damn million dollar free water park (in Ogden Pk). Momma was too damn lazy to even watch the kid let alone take the kid down the block. Typical Democrat response to irresponsibility of "inner city" people.....THROW MONEY AT THEM!

Apparently, I am going to have to start opening the hydrant on my block every day in order to get a new water park in Mt. Greenwood. I beg that all of my fellow City Workers in the neighborhood do the same. This way we too can have a beautiful splash-n-play park for our children. In case, Ald. Eddie was unaware of it, we are the ones that actually pay the taxes which pay for these beautiful parks. So once again, those of us who work for the city and pay the bills for the city receive absolutely nothing from the city.

i think the water parks should be replica hydrants with sledge hammers and crobars on chains so they can feel just like there on there own block stripping and destroying a city hydrant before relishing in the sweet sweet sewer water that they seem to love so much. -marquette not ogden.

I am sick and tired of paying higher taxes and getting nothing. Only areas "in need" get a new water feature!!!!!!!!!! How about equal distribution of spray pads without raising my taxes. i live in Mt Greenwood and a small group of women have raised 3/4 of a million for a new playground. Maybe we should all let our children run in the streets in open hydrants without parental supervision so that these moms would not have to give two years of their lives to get this playground built. Oh wait we aren't in need, we pay our taxes. Hey Eddie want to contribute to our neighborhood spray pad?

Anonymous said... I got a good place for the ghetto water parks...Burke's 008th District neighborhood. Right in his fucking back yard, that ex-policeman piece of shit!

7/21/2007 11:08:00 AM

Ex policeman if you can call him that! what was he a cop 1 year? Then his Father a great man died and he was anoited the alderman! Myabe if he gets rid of his detail which costs the city well over a million a year with the huge amount of drivers d-3 pay and overtime he could afford a nice big park near his gated mansion he built in a shit area! And what about the huge development in his ward on 51 and lawndale that will be a "GATED" community to keep the illegal rats out they cannot even sell 1 home in that shithole area!

Maybe if you could spell Mt Greenwood you could find it on a map and visit. Or are you in a "in need" area and blame your schools for a bad education not your lazy ass. At least we have indoor plumbing and are not bathing in the fire hydrants.